After the champagne and the New Year's party favors comes the moment to wish the wishes.
While it is easy to find the words with family and friends, the exercise is more complicated in the professional sphere.
After a year of the Covid-19 pandemic, and while it is still raging, precautions are particularly in order.
Certain formulas, even the most traditional, until now appropriate, would be to be avoided.
Ana Fernandez, professional coach and author of
10 steps to ... master your verbal and non-verbal communication
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,
gives her advice.
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More than ever, personalize
In view of the past year and the conditions in which 2022 begins, it is difficult to find the right tone to present his wishes. Classic formulas such as "a very beautiful or a very good year" or even, for the most enthusiastic "a wonderful year", will seem disconnected from reality, even inappropriate. "If the person has been sick with Covid-19 or has lost their job, for example", specifies Ana Fernandez. It is therefore essential, this year more than ever, to adapt the formula to its interlocutor. "In general, we will prefer to wish a 'better' year rather than a 'good' year," advises Ana Fernandez. If you know the recipient, the best is still to personalize your message more, by hearing from those close to you or the progress of your projects. "On the contrary,we can wish an "even better year" to those whose sector has been favored by the crisis, "notes the coach.
The little extra:
"The message can extend to the personal context of the interlocutor."
Respect the schedule
Neither too early nor too late.
The exercise of the vows is calendar and only makes sense if it respects a certain period.
Ana Fernandez reminds us, “to wish the New Year at the end of December it is too early, and February 1st, too late”.
The range extends over the entire month of January, specifies the coach.
And it is not necessary to throw yourself on your keyboard from January 1 or 2.
“Often, the mailbox is already full of information, especially those of those, and many of them have gone on vacation,” says Ana Fernandez.
It is therefore in our interest that our card is not drowned in the middle of all the others.
Especially if the goal is to get a meeting or a telephone appointment. ”
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The little extra:
“Everyone, including the young people on internship, do well to send their wishes.
It is always good to keep your network informed of your professional situation. ”
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Make it short
“A greeting card should be short,” insists Ana Fernandez.
We do not summarize his career over the last twenty years. "
That said, it is also an opportunity to give his news.
To do so, the coach suggests slipping an anecdote about yourself, personal or professional.
For example: "As for me, the situation made me think and I decided to retrain."
"The idea is to provoke a prompt reaction, so that the interlocutor bounces back, or even calls us to find out more", she specifies.
Hence the importance of entering your phone number in your signature.
The little extra:
"Put a clickable link in his signature, which refers to his LinkedIn profile."
Do not mix genres
With the health crisis underway for almost a year, successive confinements and teleworking, it is difficult to remain "visible" to your network. However, if the greeting card is an opportunity to maintain the link, it is also the moment to “wake up” the said network. "In the case of a job search, for example, it is better to spread out the mailings to better organize the responses, whether they are written, face-to-face or zoomed-in feedback," advises Ana Fernandez. This leaves time to organize and prepare for meetings. ” On the other hand, she advises against taking the opportunity to apply for a job or find out about the possibilities of hiring. “The greeting card is a connection, it is not an opportunity to sell yourself, nor to ask for a service, but only to remember the good memories of your contacts."To banish the little concluding sentence casually:" Know that I'm still looking for a job, so if you think of me ... ". "Rather than asking for a service directly, we prefer to say that we would like to benefit from the advice of our interlocutor, his experience or his tracks", suggests the coach.
The little extra:
“Emphasize the fact that we bounce back despite the difficulty of the situation, rather than lamenting.
The best is still to send a second email a few days later, to directly communicate your job search. "
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10 steps to ... master your verbal and non-verbal communication
, Ed.
Studyrama, 135 pages, 12 €.
Originally published on January 8, 2021, this article has been updated.
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